FLYING HIGH
The Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leaders Program Class of 2021 has a local connection – state Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township) is one of 31 members of the class, whose mission is to convene decision makers in non-partisan public and private forums to address key foreign policy challenges facing the United States. Manoogian said the group has met twice so far by Zoom, learning soft power and smart power theories of diplomacies, with the goal of each having a paper published in their book in November. Fellow leaders include armed services leaders, PhD candidates, authors, foreign service officers, journalists, corporate strategists, policy fellows and others, ages 25 to 35. Manoogian is the deputy minority whip in the Michigan House.